Matthew McConaughey's Newest Role Is With Wild Turkey

Matthew McConaughey is a lot of things: an actor, a musician, and now, the creative director for Wild Turkey Bourbon. But don’t expect him to sell you something—he’s in it for the story.

When Campari Company, the owner of Wild Turkey, approached Matthew McConaughey to be the face of the new campaign, execs had no idea he would want to dedicate himself as much as he did, the New York Times reports. Rather than just being the face, as he was for Lincoln, McConaughey asked for a more involved role: that of the creative director. McConaughey will not only star in television and digital pieces for the brand, but also write and direct them. He’ll also help with brand photography, and even potentially with the direction of new products.

McConaughey has been hired to help rebrand the company which, while seeing moderately successful growth in the last year, has trailed behind other bourbon companies. The goal is to shake the stigma that Wild Turkey produces inferior, cheaper whiskeys. While the bourbon remains popular amongst its older, loyal audience, it’s having a hard time reaching younger crowds, namely millennials. McConaughey wants to reach them by virtue of not soliciting to them, he told the New York Times, “The great news is that Wild Turkey hasn’t changed in all these years—it’s totally authentic. And that appeals to millennials. Because they can smell fake.”